Jammu, April 30 (IANS) Preparations for the annual pilgrimage to the Amarnath cave shrine in Jammu and Kashmir, scheduled to begin from June 29, have started, an official of the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB) said Saturday.
The board has asked the officers of various departments to give their assessment of the mountainous tracks and how much time it would take to clear those of snow, the official told IANS.
Registration of pilgrims would start mid-May and the pilgrim traffic regulated, depending on the clearance of snow and setting up facilities for the pilgrims on both routes – via Pahalgam, and via Baltal, the official said.
‘This time our effort is to ensure that the pilgrims land only after all the arrangements have been made,’ the official said.
The annual Amarnath Yatra is an important part of the Hindu pilgrimage calendar. Thousands take part in the trek, organised by the state government, to the 14,000-foot high Amarnath Cave, dedicated to Lord Shiva, in south Kashmir.
Pilgrims come to worship a stalagmite of snow in the cave shrine, that is believed to be an embodiment of the deity.
